Most plastic pots such as for displaying flowers or other plants are currently formed by either rotomolding or injection molding. The pots that are rotomolded can be made to have the appearance of terra cotta pots, including having an end collar with a realistic looking thickened rim. A drawback of rotomolding is that it is a slow manufacturing process. As a result, pots made with such a process are relatively expensive. Injection molded pots are manufactured more quickly in comparison to rotomolded pots and are less expensive. However, current injection molded pots do not have the realistic appearance of terra cotta pots. One reason is that the rims of injection molded pots are typically formed by folding or bending the end collar wall outwardly, resulting in an overhanging lip.
Thickened rims for pots have not been injection molded because such rims would have to be solid, and therefore, take too long to cool while in the mold, especially in the large pot sizes. Embodiments of the present invention include a plastic article having a thickened protuberance that can be injection molded relatively quickly. In some embodiments, the thickened protuberance can be a thickened rim on a flower pot. A particular plastic article includes a first plastic portion having a series of protrusions extending therefrom adjacent to each other. A second plastic portion is molded between and over the protrusions of the first plastic portion, forming a protuberance on the plastic article having a desired profile.
In particular embodiments, the protrusions extending from the first plastic portion can be contoured to provide a general approximation of the desired profile of the protuberance. The protrusions each have a height and a thickness, with the height being greater than the thickness. In some embodiments, the plastic article is a container where the first plastic portion is an inner container portion and the second plastic portion is an outer container portion molded over the inner container portion. The inner container portion can include an inner pattern formed thereon for supporting a corresponding outer pattern on the outer container portion. The protuberance can form an upper rim of the container. In other embodiments, the container is a flower pot. The protrusions of the flower pot can be one of horizontal fins, vertical fins, or fins with a zigzag pattern, and the inner container portion can have a fluted side wall. In still other embodiments, the protuberance is on one of a chair and a table.
Particular embodiments can be a flower pot including a plastic inner pot portion having an opening with a series of protrusions extending outwardly therefrom adjacent to each other. A plastic outer pot portion can then be molded over the inner pot portion. The outer pot portion can extend between and over the protrusions of the inner pot portion to form a protruding peripheral rim of a desired profile.
In particular embodiments, the inner pot portion can be formed by injection molding in a first mold configuration. The outer pot portion can then be molded over the inner pot portion by injection molding in a second mold configuration.
Particular methods of manufacture can include a method of forming a plastic article including providing a first plastic portion having a series of protrusions extending therefrom adjacent to each other. A second plastic portion can then be molded between and over the protrusions of the first plastic portion to form a protuberance on the plastic article of a desired profile.
In particular embodiments, the first plastic portion can be formed by injection molding in a first mold configuration. The second plastic portion can then be formed by injection molding over the first plastic portion in a second mold configuration. The first plastic portion can be provided with mineral fillers for reducing the cooling time of the first plastic portion.
Plastic articles with thickened protuberances can be injection molded which in the prior art was not commercially feasible. This includes flower pots having a deep tapered double wall construction and thickened end collar rim. Such flower pots not only can have a realistic appearance of terra cotta (or other traditional) pots but can also be manufactured faster and more cheaply than prior art methods.